WWE Hall of Famer Bret “The Hitman” Hart, speaking recently on The Ringer Wrestling podcast, recounted the tumultuous circumstances surrounding his first WWE Championship reign, detailing promises made by Vince McMahon, perceived disrespect from Hulk Hogan, and the eventual feeling of betrayal culminating at WrestleMania IX.
Hart explained the precarious situation in WWE when he first won the championship. “My memory of it is that things were like an elevator falling. Business was plummeting every week, down, down,” Hart recalled on the podcast, citing Hogan’s “steroid scandal” and the “ring boys scandal” happening concurrently. “Vince was being investigated. A lot of dark, gloomy things… It was almost like, ‘Who can we put the belt on that’s not going to screw everything up’, and it’s like, ‘Oh, let’s put it on Bret Hart.’”
Upon winning the title, Hart received significant assurances from McMahon about the length of his reign. “I remember when I won the title. Vince told me that I would be champion for, they were looking long term, kind of like Bruno [Sammartino],” Hart stated. “He brought up Bruno and [Bob] Backlund, and he said, ‘You’re going to be champion for six years. You’re going to be champion for a long time, so don’t worry about your position.'” McMahon also addressed the impending return of Hulk Hogan: “‘When Hogan came in, he goes, ‘Don’t worry about Hogan. He’s got nothing to do with you. He’s here to promote a movie. He’s short term.'”
These promises gave Hart confidence during a challenging period for the company. “It was always Vince telling me these things, so I was very confident,” Hart said. “The reason I became the champion that I did was because I believed that I was going to be champion for a long time, and I’m going to be like Bruno… I think I’m the best guy to carry it going forward.”
However, Hart immediately sensed friction upon Hogan’s return. “I could tell when Hogan came back, he wouldn’t even shake my hand in the dressing room,” Hart revealed on The Ringer Wrestling podcast. This contrasted sharply with Hart’s prior expectations: “I always thought, if Hulk Hogan saw me, he would come up and shake my hand and be like, really proud of me… I always thought he would be an advocate for me.” Instead, Hart perceived jealousy: “When he came back, I saw right away that I had what he wanted. He had no respect for me. He couldn’t believe that I was the champion.” Despite this, Hart initially relied on McMahon’s assurances: “I remember going in my heart, ‘He doesn’t matter because Vince already told me I’m not gonna even worry about him.'”
The situation came to a head at WrestleMania IX, where Hart defended against Yokozuna. “When that night happened, I didn’t find out until the night before I lost the belt. I couldn’t believe it. I was stunned,” Hart recounted. He had even pitched a finish to McMahon where he would defeat Yokozuna. “He goes, ‘Well, that’s not what we’re doing.’ He was almost shocked that I thought I was going to beat Yoko. I’m like, ‘Well, you’re the one that told me I’d be champion for six years, so I just assumed.'” McMahon then laid out the plan for Hart to lose to Yokozuna, only for Hogan to immediately challenge and defeat Yokozuna for the title. “He laid out that whole thing with Hogan, and I felt so betrayed,” Hart stated. “I think that’s when I went, this guy’s a total liar. Vince is a liar. Hogan’s a liar. I was really mad.”
Despite his anger, Hart maintained his professionalism. “I made a promise to myself that whatever happened… when the day came and they walked in and said, ‘Hey, you’re dropping the belt to so and so’, that I would do whatever was asked of me,” he explained. “I was more honored by the fact that they made me champion in the first place… I kind of bit my tongue, and it’s like, all right, whatever you want.”
Hart vividly recalled Hogan’s words just before the impromptu title match: “‘Happy to return the favor.’ I remember I looked at him and said, ‘I’m going to remember that’, and he wouldn’t return to favor.” Hart felt disillusioned: “I remember going, this guy’s was not the good guy that I always thought he was. I starting to see through him.”
The incident had lasting repercussions, particularly regarding his relationship with McMahon. “I’ll be honest. My whole relationship with Vince was never the same. I could never really take him at his word anymore,” Hart confessed on the podcast. “As far as integrity and honesty, I never felt that Vince was honest with me after that. It’s all about trust and respect, and Vince broke that trust.” His view on Hogan remained unchanged: “Hogan never had any respect for me.” Hart concluded with a pointed observation on enduring relevance: “I think words speak for themselves. They’re not talking about Hulk Hogan today.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Ringer Wrestling Show with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription
